Why shouldn’t bail be cancelled, court asks Kodnani and Patel

Ahmedabad, Feb 24 (IANS) The Gujarat High Court Tuesday issued notices to state Minister for Women and Child Welfare Maya Kodnani and senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionary Jaideep Patel and asked why their anticipatory bail for involvement in cases of communal rioting should not be cancelled. Both Kodnani and Patel are accused of leading mobs in the Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gaam localities here in 2002 in which 106 people were killed.

Justice D.H. Vaghela admitted the petition filed by the special investigation team (SIT), appointed by the Supreme Court following the Godhra train burning to probe major cases of the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat , against granting anticipatory bail to Kodnani and Patel.

The next hearing has been fixed on March 2, said Mukul Sinha of Jan Sangharsh Manch.

Kodnani and Patel were granted anticipatory bail on Feb 5 for their involvement in the Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gaam rioting cases.

While admitting their anticipatory bail applications, the sessions court had observed that witnesses’ accounts had proved Kodnani was part of mob that attacked members of minority community on Feb 2.

SIT had moved applications in the high court against Kodnani and Patel seeking cancellation of their anticipatory bail in connection with Naroda Gaam and Naroda Patiya cases. The high court has issued notices returnable on March 2 for both.

Before moving the high court, SIT officials had sought permission from the state government to initiate proceedings against Kodnani as she was a minister.

After SIT filed supplementary chargesheets in post-Godhra riots cases, it recorded statements of Kodnani and Patel and in January tried to arrest both. The duo then evaded arrest for nearly a week.